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The Aftermath of the GOP's Divisive Politics Is Yet to Come
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Also in PEEK
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Tara Lohan AlterNet
The political battle for the Presidency and Congress is finally winding down after what seems an eternity. But while this particular battle will be over next Tuesday, there is real war brewing over the political will of this country that will last well into the next administration. The past 16 years (and in particular the past 8 years) have been incredibly divisiveness and nasty, and I fear that no matter who wins, we ain't seen nothing yet from our friends the Pachyderms.
The Republican party - which has proven to be nothing more than a bunch of fascist brownshirts - will not go gently into the night - win or lose. The current crop of GOP leaders and loyalists are not driven by love of their country, they do not desire a better life for our society as a whole and they have a deep-seated hate towards intellectual progress. These 21st century Republicans are completely driven by the base emotions of power, greed and evil. Look at how people like Michele Bachmann, Liddy Dole, Norm Coleman and Scott Garrett have been talking to their constituents - saying that electing anyone other than themselves is tantamount to putting enemies of the state in office. And in this season political kabuki, they are ready to pull down the whole country if they slip from the reins of power.
All campaigns are nasty - that is part just part of the SOP. But for some reason 2008 seems particularly more mean spirited and vitriolic that the norm. Partly because we quickly forget how bad the past ones were. But more because we see the nastiness every day -- sometimes 20 times per day - on the countless news and information outlets that are clamoring to air this crap in the hope of selling more commercials for a few more bucks. The word "news" just doesn't exist anymore -- the Making of the President 2008 is pure soap opera - a really bad version of Peyton Place.
The name calling and character assassination from the right is at an all time high - Democrats are not tax and spend anymore - those would be kind words. To the Republican party anyone on the left is a socialist, a communist, is godless or just plain old anti-American. The GOP does hatred with such aplomb, it is as if they all went to the Lee Strasberg School of Method Acting - they are their characters. Rest assured there is not one iota of guilt in their collective brains - the hate and lies are spewed as if there are no repercussions to this kind of talk. Neither Michele Bachmann nor Sarah Palin have absolutely one shred of guilt in their conscience after labeling half of this nation as traitors. In fact, they are proud of it. Liddy Dole thinks it is just fine to call Kay Hagan godless. And when any of them are caught in their own words - they just lie to deflect all responsibility. Even if they are called on their lies -- they just lie some more.
This is more than governing by fear, it is brainwashing. We are the Manchurian Nation. Only it is not Angela Lansbury showing the Queen of Diamonds to Laurence Harvey. We have Sarah Palin winking to Rich Lowry and millions of other hard-up Republicans on national television giving them their cue to begin the "plan of action."
Where did this country go wrong? Even under Nixon and Reagan - two pretty loathsome characters in my book - it was not this bad. Yes they cheated and lied and stole - but I don't remember the country being so split as it is now. I don't remember people hating each other so much because of their President.
The politics of divide and conquer really got started with Lee Atwater in 1988 - but it was perfected by Newt Gingrich, Tom Delay, Trent Lott, Bill Frist, Dick Armey and host of other sociopaths in 1994. Those "people" are some of the most repulsive figures in American political history - especially Delay (who obviously sniffed way too much Bug Spray). To them, there was no such thing as sportsmanship, fairness or discourse. It was man the torpedoes and full speed ahead - destroy all targets. The government was being run by the real life Boys from Brazil - perfectly cloned specimens of arrogance, vile and poison straight from the Reagan era, wrapped up in old time religion.
These Boys from Brazil promised the world to their constituents, but their real focus was the demonization of their enemies (e.g. The Democrats). While they delivered practically nothing on their promises (but of course said they did), the demonizing part succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. We began 12 years of a complete us vs. them method of governance. There was no big tent -- just a big cesspool.
Then in 2000 the GOP got the break of a lifetime -- the appointment of one of their own (and a complete doofus) to the ultimate seat of power. While they got the leader they needed in terms of his persona, what they didn't realize was to keep a hold on power, you needed to have some inklings of intelligence and some semblance of competence - even if it was all faked. All the propping up by business, religion and the internal workings of government he appointed couldn't keep Humpty Bushty from falling off the wall. George W. Bush was (and is) a spectacular failure. And he failed right in front of all those insidious news organizations that need ratings to continue to sell cars and soda.
So now this country sits at a crossroad. Another election being waged by the Republicans using the us vs. as them weapon of mass destruction. Only this time the incompetence, stupidity and vileness of both McCain and Palin is so transparent - even the blind can see it. And the hate is not even veiled -- Sarah Palin rallies troops like it is Germany 1933. Bachmann calls for investigations like she was Joe McCarthy circa 1950. Liddy Dole tosses religious invectives around as if she is Queen Isabella during the Spanish Inquisition in 1492. And finally, the main character in this charade - John McCain shows such disdain for Barack Obama - you would think he was running Tara in 1860, on the eve of the most calamitous time in this nation. John McCain is not a person you want to have a beer with - nor anywhere near the White House.
It is amazing to me that even one person would consider voting for McCain-Palin. But I guess people who have been beaten and demoralized repeatedly for 28 years do not know how to see anything beyond what they want to see. And after all, those damn Democrats are gonna raise my taxes.
George W. Bush and his cronies at the Grand Old Party shouldn't worry about their legacy - it is being written as we vote, blog, videotape and talk. The incompetence of the Republican party has left this nation broken - spiritually, financially, intellectually and socially. The stupidity of the Republican party has ensured the years ahead will be difficult and tumultuous. And finally the evil from the Republican party has guaranteed that a generation of Americans will grow up as a divided nation - each side literally hating the other.
And why are we sitting on this precipice - for no reason other than a political party used the political system as a political tool for political power instead of the political health of a nation. Some gained, but millions more are simply losing - and they do not even see it.
This political theatre is no longer even a soap opera -- it has become a Greek American tragedy.
Aristophanes is ridiculous.
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| Also in PEEK | |||
| Obama: 'If Paul Krugman Has a Good Idea … Then We're Going to Do It' Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has been a frequent critic of President-elect Obama. Post by Amanda Terkel. January 9, 2009. |
Kucinich Speaks Out Against Congress' Blind Support of Israel "We must take a new direction in the Middle East. Post by Staff. January 9, 2009. |
TVA Responsible for Yet Another Toxic Coal-Related Spill So, now is it time for clean energy? Post by Tara Lohan. January 9, 2009. |
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